[firstandlasthonda]

One good thing that came out of my calls to Honda was the survey form I received asking me to rate my experience. I tried to be kind as possible with my responses but made it clear that I would not buy another Honda due to the way they have handled this radio defect.

Honda should be able to get the radio manufacturer to cover the cost of a full blown recall, because as the months go by, it's increasingly apparent that more and more of these radios are failing, and that's just based on people who post on sites like this. Image how many people just pay the dealer to replace the radio.

[Halee]

I took in my car to our Honda dealership, and again my car is now out of warranty, they said no problem, this is a common problem and they fixed it again free of charge. Maybe you have to get to the right dealership.

[jasmine2059]

I have had the same experience with my 2004 Honda Accord. One morning the lighting display from the climate control and the stereo disappeared. I was out of warranty (67,000 kms) and contacted my local dealership to ask about the repair.

I told the service representative I would be asking Honda to pay for the repair as part of their goodwill program. The dealership service representative gave me the number for Honda Canada. I contacted Honda Canada and explained the information bulletin on this website. Honda Canada spoke to my dealership and called the next day to say that a new radio would be sent to the dealership and that I would only be responsible to pay for one hour of labour which I thought was a pretty fair deal.

Good luck to all others. Let's hope that the defective radio problem has been solved!

[Ben Dover]

I just purchased an 03 accord and the backlighting wasn't working. With the help of the information I got here, I got my Case number from Honda, then took to a dealer. They looked it up, called someone (I guess Honda) and said, no problem - free of charge - new radio will be in in 3 or 4 days. **Great way to start with a dealer and Honda's great reputation**

[dsltonsdad]

My 2003 Accord had the same defect. (The stereo/AC console display was very dim). My dad followed the instructions below and he got it to work! Thank you for the detailed instructions. Taking the console apart at the beginning was tricky. Here are detailed instructions with photos about how to remove the stereo:

iAudiophile.NET: Article / iAudio your Honda Accord 2003

One thing we noticed that was different that was the top center console piece (where the AC vents are) needed to be moved outwards (towards the back of the card) before lifting upwards.

Also, YOU NEED YOUR STEREO CODE! When you reconnect your stereo it will display "code" when you try to turn on the radio. Its a 5 digit number. If you dont have it, you can get it from a dealership if you provide the serial number from the back of the stereo. We lucked out and found it written in pen inside the owners manual. I have heard of this before- so check the front/back of the manual and also sections concering the auto theft system or the stereo.

Thanks again everyone for sharing the information!

Does anyone have the Honda America phone number? I have just had my backlight go out at 50,100 miles. I would appreciate any assistance I could get. I also had the condenser problem but didn't find this awesome site until now. Than you all for posting your issues. I love the web, wee never would have figured out this was an issue globally in the old days. This is my 4th Honda and it seems the "American Honda" has deteriorated in quality. I am calling the dealer today to try and get this all started toward the path of correction. I will post the results. Thanks again and that 800 number would be appreciated.

[Me2]

The # to American Honda is 1-800-999-1009. It's a BAD deal when I know the number by heart. As posted before, I've had several problems with my car. The exhaust, the radio backlights, the windshield wipers freeze for no reason in heavy rain & now at 78,000 miles, my transmission has gone out - violently while driving down the road.

My car was part of the transmission recall, but a 'kit' was done to 'solve' the problem. Well, I don't think the problem is solved. My car is now at the local dealership awaiting the new transmission. Since, I am over my mileage warranty, I again called American Honda about the thousands of $$$ this was going to cost me. They have agreed under 'good-will' to cover 1/2 the cost plus my rental fees while the replacement is being installed.

Unfortunately, after a few hours of research, I've found that this is a wide spread problem and even the replacements have to be replaced. I will be selling my car as soon as it is road ready again.

If you plan to buy or keep a 03 Honda Accord EX V6 Coupe YOU NEED the extended warranty.

[kampui]

Hi guys,

Thought I would chime in here as well after reading everyone's posts.

I live in Toronto and drive a 2003 Honda Accord Coupe EX-V6 6-speed. My car is out of warranty for the radio (38 months/68,000 km) and one day the backlight went out as well.

I phoned my nearest Honda dealership (other than the one I purchased my car from since I moved out of that city) and asked them for advice/recommendations on the radio issue. I explained to them as nicely as possible that I was surprised something like this had happened and asked what the likelihood of Honda Canada covering the costs. I made no mention of the bulletin or anything.

The service rep took down my information and dealt with Honda Canada himself and a few days later, I got a call telling me the part is in. Honda Canada will cover the radio and I just pay the $99 labour charge. Definitely better than paying the exorbant $800 amount.

[Puwawa]

Hi guys,

Thought I would chime in here as well after reading everyone's posts.

I live in Toronto and drive a 2003 Honda Accord Coupe EX-V6 6-speed. My car is out of warranty for the radio (38 months/68,000 km) and one day the backlight went out as well.

I phoned my nearest Honda dealership (other than the one I purchased my car from since I moved out of that city) and asked them for advice/recommendations on the radio issue. I explained to them as nicely as possible that I was surprised something like this had happened and asked what the likelihood of Honda Canada covering the costs. I made no mention of the bulletin or anything.

The service rep took down my information and dealt with Honda Canada himself and a few days later, I got a call telling me the part is in. Honda Canada will cover the radio and I just pay the $99 labour charge. Definitely better than paying the exorbant $800 amount.

Hi Everyone, I;ve had this problem for couple months and had no luck previously dealing with Honda Canada, after seeing several of you with success, I decided to call them again. This time I had a very nice customer relations rep, I didn't even mention the bulletin and he already offered to contact my dealership and replace my radio unit free of charge. I asked him if I had to pay labour charge and he said $0. :p Can't wait to go into the dealership next week, and remind them that they tried to make me pay $1000 to replace the unit last time!

[BuroWerks]

My radio light went out in my 2003 Accord, and my husband found this site. I was really mad that a problem like this could go ignored by HONDA. First I filled as many recall request as I could find, meanwhile not being able to afford the $700. Ever or the x number weeks without a car, no public transport here! I really was annoyed so I called the Honda Corp. What a surprise when they called me back a week later, and told me that they would cover the cost of the parts, and would have the dealer order the radio before doing the work. I would still have to pay for installation but that was only $90with tax!

You could try to get your money back... call the corportation!

[Mountainbikerpgh]

Like so many folks on here, my Audio-HVAC display module has gone dim on my '03 Accord. I've taken all of the great advice from here ;) called Honda of America and they say the unit should be replaced at no cost if my dealer diagnoses the problem correctly (one look and they'll know the problem.) My appointment is on Oct. 4, 2006 with Dean Honda of Pittsburgh, so I'll repost here with any news. The phone rep at American Honda was pleasant and willingly offered the case number when I asked. She did say that there may be a cost from the dealer to diagnose the problem, so we'll see if they charge me. It's posted on here in many places, but here is the info again... Call American Honda at 800-999-1009. If you want to read the service bulletin, I found it on Google by typing "Service Bulletin 04-027." You'll be able to download the two page document in PDF and print it for reference. It spells it out pretty clearly - that there is a problem with the Audio-HVAC unit. Good luck everyone, and thanks to all who stormed this path first!

[mdelgado2]

I have 2003 accord and I just got this problem. Does any one know if there is a recall on the radio or do I have to pay an arm and a leg from the dealer??

[Timmernator]

I have 2003 accord and I just got this problem. Does any one know if there is a recall on the radio or do I have to pay an arm and a leg from the dealer???

Try the process used by others in this thread...

I have an '04 Accord LX-V6 that just lost power to the radio, then the power came back, radio worked but had no display. Found this thread & it has been very useful!

I just got off the phone with American Honda (see previous threads for phone #) and got a case number assigned with no hassle.

Am awaiting the case officer to call back & hopefully get my repair...

[melharding]

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?

Did you manage to get the problem fixed?

[xcuradx]

FYI,
Just called Honda. There is no recall. In fact, they do not recall anything unless it is for safety, more or less.
If this is not under warranty, you're pretty much out of luck. However, you can call their customer service hotline and complain, and get assigned a case #. They "may" try to help you out.
Good luck. My display went out today and I'm probably going to have to spend $1k to get a new stereo.

[KirillS]

For those who are wondering, I don't believe shorting/jumping the resistor will cause any problems. If you really know your thing, open a digikey catalog, and try to find a good replacement part. I would suggest buying a surface mount fuse instead with correct spacing and a value somewhere around 3 amps. It wasn't my car, so I took out the part and soldered a wire in it's place! That resistor will not be a problem anymore! Hey! IT IS WHAT I DO!

I would like to thank mystifield88 and hypo for the instructions on how to fix this problem. It took only two hours and wasn't difficult even for a software engineer like me. Here are my notes and photos that may help you.

To get to the radio out follow the instructions on Eric's blog. Note that the lower part of the face plate is fastened with three clips that are very tight. At one moment I thought that it is going to break so tight it was. I suggest you find these clips with your fingers and push them out with a screwdriver.

I removed a dozen of tiny bolts all around the radio and got to the circuit board.



The resistor is on the left side of the board close to the heat sink. It located between two black elements and marked as R797.




The space is very tight. I wasn't able to remove the heat sink and it was difficult to solder this resistor out even with a small soldering gun from RadioShack. I found a spec for this resistor on the Internet. It supposed to be 2.2 kOhm but when I took it out it t was 20 mega Ohm. I wanted to replace it with a regular size resistor but was afraid to touch elements that are near by. So I decided to short it with a piece of wire.



I put everything back and it worked! I am so happy :) I found this board.

If you need help with your radio in the Boston area feel free to contact me.

With best regards,
Kirill

[hondainhawaii]

All Honda owners, this site has definitely helped me out so I'm here to help you out.
FYI: There are two service bulletins out on the Honda radio. What had happened was that the company that manufactured the radio for Honda manufactured a faulty radio. A turn out there was a huge production of these faulty radios. There are no fuses to be swapped but to simply replace the radio is the "best" fix for this problem. I understand that there are other ways to fix this but I'm telling you now, HONDA OF AMERICA has a service bulletin on the radio problem, so why bother yourself. If you contact them at (800) 999-1009 you too can get this fixed at NO CHARGE! The fix is much more professional than if you were to tear into it yourself. One more thing, if your dealership has to tear into your radio to figure it out, then you shouldn't be taking it to that particular Honda dealership. My Honda service dealership diagnosed it right when he turned the car on. If they tell you that they have to take the radio out, tell to shove it. Get the service bulletin from HONDA OF AMERICA before you take it in. Overall, this radio should be fixed for free, I mean you pay nothing, not even labor.

I hope this has helped,

Honda in Hawaii
Mahalo and Aloha

[hondainhawaii]

All Honda owners, this site has definitely helped me out so I'm here to help you out.
FYI: There are two service bulletins out on the Honda radio. What had happened was that the company that manufactured the radio for Honda manufactured a faulty radio. A turn out there was a huge production of these faulty radios. There are no fuses to be swapped but to simply replace the radio is the "best" fix for this problem. I understand that there are other ways to fix this but I'm telling you now, HONDA OF AMERICA has a service bulletin on the radio problem, so why bother yourself. If you contact them at (800) 999-1009 you too can get this fixed at NO CHARGE! The fix is much more professional than if you were to tear into it yourself. One more thing, if your dealership has to tear into your radio to figure it out, then you shouldn't be taking it to that particular Honda dealership. My Honda service dealership diagnosed it right when he turned the car on. If they tell you that they have to take the radio out, tell them to shove it. Get the service bulletin from HONDA OF AMERICA before you take it in. Overall, this radio should be fixed for free, I mean you pay nothing, not even labor.

I hope this has helped,

Honda in Hawaii
Mahalo and Aloha

[balletdaf]

:) I had the same problem with the backlighting for my A/C and radio controls, so I used the information and advice I found here and the dealer replaced the radio for FREE! First, I called Honda America and opened a claim. The representative told me that I might have to pay for the replacement since I have 50,000 miles on my car. I told her that other Accord owners with similar mileage were receiving free replacement. She changed her tune and told me to call Honda American back if the dealership wouldn't do anything.

When I arrived at the dealership, I handed the service advisor the Technical Service Bulletin (http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/at...tachmentid=673) with my case number written across the top. That was Monday morning and on Thursday they replaced it for FREE. I didn't even have to pay the labor charge.

If anyone gives you push back, just remind them that you know many Accord owners are having the same problem and other dealers are replacing the faulty units under goodwill consideration.

[sherilowen]

I want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the posts here. I too just had the same problem with my 03 Accord EX (83,500mi). I went to the internet thinking I just had not changed the right fuse, when I found this message thread! WHAT A LIFESAVER!! I first called my local dealer and even gave him the service bulletin. He was rather negative at first saying I wasn't under warranty anymore,. then since I did have extended warranty (not Hondacare), the unit would have to be taken out and sent in for repair, leaving me with no heater controls all that time... # 1 - I wasn't thrilled to be without heater controls at this time of year! And #2 - if the units were so faulty, I just wouldn't quite trust a 'repair' job!! Sooooo then I called the 1-800 Honda number yesterday!! They got back to me today and said they would goodwill the replacement and even called the dealer and let him know!! Interesting that the dealer never mentions the calling Honda option!! Thanks again for everyone posting about this problem and letting us know about the cost free solution!! Hopefully in a couple of weeks, my Accord will be all fixed!!

[espedid]

I live in Canada, and I tried twice to get a dealership to fix my radio for free (goodwill consideration) but failed both times. I even presented the service bulletin, and explained that many people online have been claiming that their radios have been repaired for free.

Thanks to this forum, I was able to fix it myself. It's a really really tight area to work in, and after 1 hour of trying to do the job properly I discarded my plan to solder a wire properly (parallel) over the resistor. The easiest thing I could do was to fold a copper wire into a tight rectangle that just fits snugly over the faulty resistor. It’s not pretty, but it doesn’t move at all, and most importantly my display work fine now.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this discussion. :D

Daniel
Mississauga, Ontario